Progress in the research on HPV vaccination: updates from the 25th International Papillomavirus Conference in Malmo, Sweden, 2009

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The First 30 Years of the Universal Hepatitis-B Vaccination-Program in Italy: A Health Strategy with a Relevant and Favorable Economic-Profile

In 1991, Italy was one of the first countries worldwide to introduce a universal hepatitis-B vaccination for children. Since then, epidemiological data have clearly demonstrated the huge clinical benefits of the vaccination. The aim of this study was to update the favorable economic impact of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination, 30 years after its implementation. A mathematical model was developed to simulate the clinical/economic impact of the universal HBV-vaccination program versus a hypothetical no-vaccination scenario as a posteriori analysis. We assessed the vaccination benefits over a 30-year-immunization-period (1991–2020), and the following period, 2021–2070. Our data showed a big drop in HBV-related diseases (−82% in infections, chronic disease, and hepatocellular-carcinoma cases), and related costs (−67% in the immunization period and −85% in 2021–2070), attributable to vaccination. The return on investment (ROI) and the benefit-to-cost (BCR) ratios are >1 for the first thirty-year-immunization-period, and are predicted to almost triplicate the economic savings in the period 2021–2070, both for the National Health Service (NHS) and from societal perspectives. Our model confirmed that the implementation of universal HBV-vaccination in Italy during the first 30 years continues to be a cost-saving strategy, and more advantageous effects will be further achieved in the future. The HBV-vaccination strategy greatly expresses a huge impact in both the short- and long-term, and from the clinical and economic point-of-views

focusing on the implementation of 21st century vaccines for adults

Abstract Adult immunization is a priority for public health, particularly in countries where an aging population has become increasingly more numerous. Protection against diseases which typically affect adults (like flu, pneumococcal diseases and Herpes zoster), the shift of age of infections which originally affected children (like measles), the decreasing protection with time for infections which need periodical booster doses of vaccines (Tdap), the availability of vaccines which can also impact on adult health (HPV) are only some examples of the importance of implementing targeted vaccination strategies. The possibility to reach high coverage with immunizations that can guarantee a fundamental improvement of health for adults and the elderly can only be achieved through a coordinated effort where all stakeholders, under the coordination of public health, contribute to issue recommendations; create a functioning database for vaccine coverage registration; promote formative courses for healthcare workers and continuous information for the public; increase vaccines uptake among healthcare workers, who need to give the first testimony on the relevance of immunization

Surveillance of adverse events following immunization with meningococcal group C conjugate vaccine: Tuscany, 2005-2012

Introduction. Post-licensure vaccine safety studies are essential to identify uncommon events that may be difficult to assess during prelicensure studies. The aim of our study was to evaluate the safety of serogroup C meningococcal conjugate (MCC) vaccine in Tuscany from 2005 to 2012. Methods. All adverse events (AEs) to MCC vaccine notified from 2005 to 2012 were obtained from the regional health authority. Results. Following 451,570 doses administered, 110 suspected AEs were notified (mean annual reporting rate: 2.8/10,000 doses). The most frequently AE reported was fever (60%), fol- lowed by swelling at the injection site (11%) and febrile seizures (10%). Overall, 77.3% of cases were not severe, while 21.8% required hospitalization. Almost four months after the receipt of the vaccine, a one-year-old infant was diagnosed with a pervasive developmental disorder with disturbance of speech, but any link with the vaccinations received was refuted. Most AEs (80.9%) occurred after co-administration with other vaccines, especially with MMR or MMRV vaccines (42.7%) or the DTPa-HBV-IPV/ Hib vaccine (33.7%). Discussion. Our study confirmed the high level of safety of MCC vaccine in Tuscany: AEs proved rare and all cases had only tem- porary and self-resolving consequences. As usually only the most severe suspected AEs are reported, the true proportion of AEs requiring hospitalization was most probably overestimated, and it is plausible that most of these cases were in fact only temporally related

Human papilloma virus vaccination: impact and recommendations across the world.

Human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination has been implemented in several countries for about the past 7 years, mainly in the adolescent female population, with varying coverage results. Although the impact of immunization on cervical and other HPV-related cancers will be evident in the next decades, a marked decrease of prevalent HPV infections, precancerous lesions and genital warts is already dramatic in the vaccinated cohorts, and also in their sexual partners, thus providing clear evidence of the effectiveness of HPV vaccination, including a herd-protection effect. Today, recommendations and implementation of universal HPV vaccination for adolescent girls are a public-health priority in all countries of the world. Countries with limited resources are presently involved in demonstration projects and, in some cases, have launched national programmes with the help of international agencies and alliances. Extension of immunization offer to young women and to adolescent male subjects has become an important additional opportunity for several countries, with a special focus needed on homosexual men with HIV infection who are at particularly increased risk of HPV-related diseases. Public-health authorities are confronted with the need to enlarge HPV-vaccination offer to all target groups, especially pre-adolescent girls, so that they can be saved from dreadful cancers by reaching high immunization coverage